◎ First update ◎ 

The next morning, before dawn, the villagers of Damei Village woke up to the sound of roosters crowing in the cold dew weather. Smoke rose from the kitchens as they prepared breakfast. 

As the weather gets warmer, there is more farm work to do. After breakfast, everyone has to go to the fields again. 

In the Liang family’s yard, the atmosphere was tense. Liang Baoling carefully started the fire with firewood. She knew her parents were angry, so she had to be extra cautious these days and avoid causing any trouble, or she would be courting disaster. 

“Mother, the corn porridge is about to burn.” Seeing Song Chunhua distractedly stirring the pot with a cold expression, Liang Baoling couldn’t help but remind her in a faint voice. 

“Yes, I know.” Song Chunhua only realized it after her daughter reminded her, but she wanted to save face, “Tell them to eat.” 

Liang Baoling escaped her mother’s gloomy mood and only dared to take a deep breath once she left the kitchen. It was so frightening! 

Song Chunhua and Liang Zhigao have always been the first people to get up in the family. They are too old to sleep in, and they are active. Liang Baoling, on the other hand, was up early to be good. 

She knocked on every door and called out to people at the top of her voice. 

When she arrived at her third sister’s room and was about to knock on it, the wooden door suddenly opened. 

“Third sister, eat… brother-in-law?!” 

Liang Baoling covered her mouth in surprise and blinked a few times at Xu Shengjie who suddenly appeared. How did this happen? 

“Brother-in-law, why are you here? No, that’s not right. Third sister came back alone yesterday!” She clearly remembered that she hadn’t seen her brother-in-law before going to bed last night. Children like to imagine things, “Brother-in-law, did you fly back?” 

Xu Shengjie had been riding all night, and his bicycle was almost sparking from the effort. He went to bed and slept for two hours before he felt better. When he heard Baoling’s mischievous words, he couldn’t help but smile, “Yeah, I flew back.” 

“How is Mother?” Liang Baozhen put on her clothes and came out to ask her younger sister about the situation first. 

“It’s scary.” Liang Baoling is most afraid of the angry Song Chunhua, though she rarely got angry. When she did, it was indeed frightening! 

The other members of the Liang family were also surprised to see Xu Shengjie suddenly show up at home. They learned he had been worried about Baozhen since she hadn’t returned to the city, so he rode his bicycle all night to get here. Only then did they realize they hadn’t handled the situation properly. 

Especially Song Chunhua. The eldest son-in-law was getting a divorce and returning to the city, while the second son-in-law had traveled all night to check on his daughter’s safety. Her gaze toward Xu Shengjie softened considerably. 

“Shengjie, you should rest! We all forgot about this. There was a big incident at home last night, and we completely forgot to inform you. Oh, I’m really getting old and confused.” 

Xu Shengjie became more and more anxious as he waited at home last night. The time Liang Baozhen was supposed to arrive had passed, and no one answered the phone call to the commune. He was unwilling to wait until the next day to take the bus back to check on the situation, so he could not wait even a moment and set off immediately. 

Even though he was tired and sleepy, he was glad to see that everyone was alright. 

“Mother, it’s okay. I was just worried that something might have happened to Baozhen on the way home, so I wanted to come over and see her as soon as possible.” 

“You are so thoughtful!” Song Chunhua gave Xu Shengjie an extra steamed bun when distributing breakfast. “Eat more.” 

Liang Baojun saw that his mother’s face had improved a lot because of the arrival of his brother-in-law, and he also started to make jokes, “Mother, you won’t give it to your son?” 

“Go away!” Song Chunhua rolled her eyes at her son. “You’re not working early today, and you still expect an extra steamed bun?” 

This morning, the Liang family was supposed to work in the fields, but due to Liang Baoying and Song Jianguo’s divorce, they took half a day off.

They held a meeting at home, and after a night, everyone calmed down a lot.  

“You’re all in your twenties. Normally, I shouldn’t interfere in your affairs. But marriage and divorce are major events. If you insist on getting a divorce, I can’t stop you from living your life. I thought about it last night and decided not to make a fuss anymore. I’m just worried that Baoying is being too soft-hearted and impulsive. You both should think this over again, Jianguo.” 

“Yes, Mother,” Song Jianguo looked at his mother-in-law with some guilt. 

“You know how we treat you. Even though you’re my son-in-law, I’ve always regarded you as one of my own. Don’t force Baoying. If by this time next week, you still want a fake divorce to return to the city, I won’t stop you. But from then on, if anyone criticizes you, you’ll have to handle it yourself.” 

“Mother.” Liang Baoying sat next to Song Chunhua and tried to hold her hand, but her mother avoided it.

After several attempts, she finally held her mother’s hand tightly, her eyes were red and filled with tears. 

“Baoying, you were so stubborn when you got married and insisted on it. Now you are still stubborn when you get divorced. You just don’t listen to your mother.” 

No one else dared to say anything, and after everyone tried to persuade them several times, they finally listened to their mother. 

*** 

Before Xu Shengjie came, he asked a worker from the State Cotton Factory who lived in Crescent Alley to help him take half a day off, so he and Liang Baozhen had to set off in the morning. 

Before leaving, Liang Baozhen talked to Song Chunhua and reminded her, “If they really want to get a fake divorce just to go back to the city, it’s better to write a written agreement so that eldest sister can have a guarantee in the future. And once my brother-in-law returns to the city to work, he needs to send money to my sister and Mengmeng. He can’t just leave her to handle everything alone.” 

Song Chunhua felt that her daughter was right. “Mother knows that your elder sister is determined now. Let’s see if she can come to her senses after a while.” 

As soon as Xu Shengjie arrived today, he heard that his eldest sister and brother-in-law were going to divorce. He didn’t have much contact with Song Jianguo. They only met and talked every time Baozhen came back to her parents’ home. 

On the bus back to the city, he couldn’t help but wonder, “Does my brother-in-law really want to get a divorce and return to the city?” 

He could understand Song Jianguo’s desire and obsession to return to the city, but it was unfair to let his wife and Mengmeng stay in the countryside and be criticized. 

“It seems he’s set on it.” Liang Baozhen had tried to persuade her sister again before leaving, but her sister remained firm, “I hope my sister will think it through.” 

However, Liang Baozhen’s wish did not come true. Half a month later, news came that her eldest sister and brother-in-law had divorced. 

She lived in the city and had work, so she couldn’t constantly persuade her sister. Her brother-in-law had already started the procedures to return to the city, and the villagers of Damei Village naturally didn’t know the details. 

A few days later, when Song Jianguo was missing, they learned that he had also abandoned his wife and daughter. 

“I’ve said it before, you can’t marry an educated youth! How can those educated youth settle down? They are just white-skinned and good-looking people, but they are not good at doing manual labor,” Hu Guifen said to the Liang family yard while cracking melon seeds. 

Liang Baoying stayed in the house and vaguely heard the discussion outside. She had already prepared herself mentally and was determined to get through it. 

Liang Baozhen went back home again. After Liang Baojun asked someone to pass on a message, she took a bus back on her day off. As soon as she walked outside the yard, she saw Hu Guifen and her aunt whispering about something. 

“Baoying is really something. How could she be abandoned by Song Jianguo? Tsk, tsk, it’s truly pitiful!” 

“I want to see what Song Chunhua has to say this time. Her own daughter is divorced, does she still have any face left?” Fang Yuehe was displeased before. One of Song Chunhua’s daughters married an educated youth, and the other married a city dweller. Both sons-in-law were decent people and looked much better than the villagers. 

This time, one of her daughters got divorced! She rushed over as soon as she heard the news, just to watch the fun. 

“Chunhua, you’re not at home? I heard Baoying got divorced. What’s going on?” She raised her voice, determined to let everyone hear it. 

“Fang Yuehe, what are you yelling about! You really have no control over your words!” Aunt Fulai also heard about it and came over to ask about the situation, but she didn’t come to make fun of someone. Divorced women have a hard time, and she wanted to scold Song Jianguo!

“Why can’t I make noise? If you don’t want others to talk, don’t get divorced. It’s not like I’m the one at fault that she gets abandon by an educated youth!” 

“Aunt!” Liang Baozhen just walked to the entrance of the yard. She became angry when she heard what Fang Yuehe said. This person never hoped for their family to have a good life. 

“You!” Fang Yuehe looked at Liang Baozhen and remembered how her family went to the city and ended up being thrown into the vagrants’ detention center. It was truly humiliating! 

In the end, they were criticized for disturbing the commune, and the family did not dare to make a fuss for half a year. It was only now that everyone seemed to have almost forgotten about it that they started to make trouble again. 

Naturally, she didn’t have a good face towards her niece. 

“What?! Why do city dwellers come back to their hometown? The sun is rising in the west.” 

Every sentence carried a sour tone. 

“I grew up in Damei Village. This will always be my home. Why wouldn’t I come back?” Liang Baozhen looked at her, her gaze firm, with a trace of mockery at the corner of her mouth. She no longer cared about family ties. “As for Uncle and Aunt, you insisted on going to the city and wouldn’t leave, and in the end, you got thrown into the vagrants’ detention center…” 

“If you say that again, I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Fang Yuehe felt humiliated. This was a permanent stain on their family. Her family had always been seen as active members, with a good family background, but now they had made a mistake and were criticized through a loudspeaker. Even their eldest son, who was a cadre in the commune, was affected. 

It’s so embarrassing! 

“Who dares to tear my daughter’s mouth?” The door of the Liang family house was slammed open. Song Chunhua came out of the house with red eyes and scolded Fang Yuehe, “What are you doing at my doorstep? Last time, your family went to Baozhen’s in-laws’ house and ate and took things. You were so shameless that you refused to leave and insisted on sleeping on the floor in their house. Do you still have the nerve to do that? I have never seen anyone like you in my entire life!” 

“You’re utterly shameless, it’s disgusting!” 

Song Chunhua was furious, her voice was loud, and her words were fast. Her words came out like a machine gun, hitting Fang Yuehe, whose face turned red with embarrassment. 

Aunt Fulai sneered and followed suit, “Fang Yuehe, I didn’t expect it! Your family’s skin is thicker than a dead pig’s!” 

“Other decent parents don’t go leeching off their in-laws, but you, as an aunt, dared to show up?” 

Seeing the villagers’ anger directed at her, Fang Yuehe refused to give in. “So what! No matter how embarrassed I am, it’s not as embarrassing as your daughter’s divorce! Her husband doesn’t want her anymore; he left his wife and children and ran away! If I were her, I would not want to live anymore, I would just jump into the well and die…” 

Slap! 

Song Chunhua slapped her in the face, her eyes seemed to pop out, and she pointed at Fang Yuehe’s nose and cursed, “What’s wrong with divorce? She’s still our daughter even if she gets divorced. She didn’t eat your food, so it’s none of your business! If I hear you say anything bad about our Baoying again, I’ll rip your mouth off!” 

Fang Yuehe was not as strong as Song Chunhua, and she felt humiliated after being slapped in public today. She refused to give in, “I’m going to fight you!” 

“Alright, alright, stop making trouble.” Liang Baozhen stepped forward to mediate the fight, and she and Aunt Fulai stopped Fang Yuehe. “Aunt, if you make more trouble, you will alert the team leader. You already disturbed the commune last time, and if you make trouble again now, you will make the team leader unhappy.” 

“Then I got beaten for nothing?” 

“Fang Yuehe, it’s your own fault for badmouthing someone else’s daughter!” 

“You have a filthy mouth!” 

The other members who were watching would at most discuss it behind her back, but no one would say it to her face. Now everyone has united to condemn her. 

Fang Yuehe covered her face, feeling angry and anxious. Song Chunhua’s family was too strong in number for her to win, and she would not be in a good situation, especially since Liang Baojun was waiting nearby. “I want to see how you will live in the future!” 

After saying that, she pushed away the crowd and went home. 

After the commotion, Liang Baozhen helped her mother back into the house. When she saw her older sister, she noticed that she seemed to be in a good mood. 

“Did Brother-in-law leave?” 

“Yes, he’s gone back to the city,” Liang Baoying spoke in a calm tone. The gossip outside was uncomfortable, but she was mentally prepared for it.